Harry Potter and the Ties that Bind

Chapter 46

The world around Harry was no longer what it had been. There was no ground, yet somehow he was standing. There were no walls, yet Harry still felt confined. The sky overhead was nothing but a dull, uniform gray that extended far beyond his line of sight. This place was not the prison that he'd been locked up in.

This is...

"This is your mind," a voice said to him.

Harry turned. Walking—no, striding toward him with a confident gait was Tom Riddle, the man who had kidnapped him. He looked different, young but old, handsome but ugly. His skin had become more white than when Harry had confronted his diary self. Likewise, his eyes were not brown but yellow. His fingers, which Harry could see peeking from his robes, were long and spindly, like a skeletons.

Tom Riddle continued. "To be more exact, this is the space that I have created between your mind and mine. I suppose you could call it a link where our minds have melded together."

Harry frowned. He had not realized there was a spell that could accomplish such a thing. This must have been one of the more esoteric rituals, something that only a few people in the entire world knew of. It could have even been an original spell.

His frown deepened the longer he stared at Tom. There was something not right here. Harry felt on edge. His scalp was prickling, the hairs on his arms were standing on end, and his mind was blaring sirens to warn him of danger. All of the signs directed him toward one conclusion.

Is it just me, or is he more powerful than before?

"I am indeed more powerful," Tom Riddle said. His mouth didn't move, but Harry heard him all the same. "And it's all thanks to you. Who knew there'd be a piece of me locked away inside of your mind. Well, at least now I know why the killing curse failed. I won't make that mistake again."

Harry had no idea what this man was talking about. A piece of himself? What did that mean? Regardless of what he did and didn't know, Harry knew one thing for sure. Whatever was going on here, it was clear that this, right now, was the point where Tom Riddle was going to try and take over his body.

I'm not going to let that happen.

Tom Riddle smirked. "You don't have a choice."

There was no prelude to their battle. Tom's wand flashed and a streak of red lightning erupted from the tip like a bolt of lightning arcing across the night sky. Harry threw himself out of the way, grimacing as he was jolted by the attack. If he could feel Tom's spell even though he had dodged, that meant this man had a lot more power than most. He couldn't afford to be hit directly.

Two wands appeared in Harry's hands, exact replicas of the ones he had in the real world. It seemed that whatever he wanted to have happen here could happen. This was his mind, or perhaps the link between his mind and Tom's. That meant they could change the rules to suit their needs. In this battle, it would come down to skill, power, and will.

Harry jabbed his wand forward. Flames burst from the tip, a roaring cone of fire that took the shape of an eastern dragon. The monster roared as it charged forward. It sadly didn't get very far, though, as a smirking Tom waved his wand and the flames suddenly reversed course, shifting from bright yellow to dark crimson.

There was no time to dodge.

Gritting his teeth as he thrust out his wand, Harry created a silvery barrier that the dragon slammed into. The shock wave from the attack could be felt even through his shield. Harry fell to a knee as cracks spread along the luminescent dome protecting him.

With his lips twisting into a snarl, Harry raised his mother's wand and gave it a wave. Water blasted from the tip. It struck the shield, and then moved phased through the shield, striking the fire dragon head on. The ball slammed through the dragon, which dispersed, flames shooting in all directions.